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Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane was the main fighter of the RAF through the early stages of World War II. Most of the German planes shot down by British aircraft during the Battle of Britain were downed by Hurricanes, which while slower than the newer Supermarine Spitfire, was highly resistant to damage, maneuverable, and perhaps most importantly, was available in much larger numbers. As more Spitfires became available, Hurricanes were gradually replaced as a frontline fighter, and many were relegated to more specialized roles such as ground attack. Over 14,000 Hurricanes were built during the war. Mk I In 1939, several changes were made to the design of the existing Hurricane. These included a new powerplant, the Merlin III, a new metal propeller, new radios, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment. Additionally, the aircraft was armed with eight, closely grouped .303" machine guns which provided an excellent field of fire. During combat, it was discovered that the Hurricane's fuel tanks were vulnerable to machine gun fire from enemy bombers, which could then ignite the aircraft mid flight. However, despite this the Hurricane would go on to be extremely successful during the Battle of Britain and would ultimately down more aircraft than the Spitfire. Hurricane.jpg|Hurricane Mk1 Hurricane_01.jpg|Hurricane Mk1 (1) Hurricane_02.jpg|Hurricane Mk1 (2) Hurricane_03.jpg|Hurricane Mk1 (3) Hawker Hurricane.jpg|Hurricane Mk1 Mk II The Hurricane Mk II first flew in June 1940. The only significant difference between this and the original Mk I was the use of the Merlin XX engine (providing 1,280 hp). This increased the top speed of the Hurricane to 342 mph at 22,000 feet. The Mk II Series 1 entered front line service in September 1940, in time to take part in the later stages of the battle of Britain, although not in large numbers compared to the older aircraft. The Hurricane Mk II appeared in more variants than any other model of the aircraft. By October 1941 the Mk II equipped 57 home squadrons, with a further 25 overseas squadrons having received it by the end of the year. Mk IIB The Hurricane IIB gained prominence at a time when RAF Fighter Command went over to the offensive following the end of The Battle of Britain during which it had been. The 'Hurri-bombers', as they came to be known, bravely carried the fight to the European mainland in late 1941 and early 1942, initially armed with a pair of 250lb bombs and later with two 500lb bombs, together with an up-rated armament of twelve Browning .303 inch machine guns from the original eight. Mk IIC Hurricane Mark IIC, which entered service early in 1941. The Rolls Royce Merlin XX engine delivered 1280 ps and allowed for a maximum speed of 550 km/h. Introduced as fighter aircraft it was later changed to the fighter-bomber role as it was superseded by later generations of fighter aircraft. But with its four 20mm cannons, and its tough construction, it was not to be underestimated. BF1942 2015-06-08 11-53-35-59.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-53-38-38.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-53-41-30.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-53-46-59.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-53-57-51.png hurricane MKIIc.jpg Mk IID The Hurricane MkIID was nicknamed 'The Flying Can Opener'. It was armed with two 40mm Vickers 'S' anti-tank cannons, carrying 15 rounds each. It was a great anti-tank weapon, because it's cannons were much more effective against tanks than regular bombs. The first Hurricanes of this type were used in the summer of 1942. BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-04-69.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-11-70.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-18-96.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-31-80.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-39-66.png BF1942 2015-06-08 11-51-56-39.png